The name Oxalis is derived from a Greek word for sour, referring to the sour taste of the leaves. This plant grows to 15 inches tall and develops a deep tap root. Stems are usually erect. Leaves are palmately divided into 3 heart-shaped leaflets, green to yellow-green, which fold in the evening or when it is cloudy. The yellow flowers are 1/2-1 inch across, with 5 sepals, 5 petals, 10 stamens, and 1 pistil. There are 1 to several blossoms on a slender stem borne in the leaf axils.